It’s a school choice in Florida that, so far, everyone in Tallahassee seems to support – at least everyone behind the dais Tuesday at the Florida House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee meeting.

All 13 members of the subcommittee voted in favor of House Bill 313 – a unanimous decision and a rarity for choice-related legislation. The bill would create a pilot program that allows up to five large Florida school districts to designate an elementary school as a gender-specific school in its core classes.

Rep. Manny Diaz Jr.

Besides expanding learning options, the proposal calls for administrators to track educational outcomes to show how students perform compared to those in co-ed schools, and to share that data with state leaders to help determine whether to include more schools.

State statutes already allow districts to create gender-specific classes and schools, and several have, including Broward and Hillsborough counties.

“What I’m doing is providing an avenue to districts who aren’t doing it,’’ said Rep. Manny Diaz, the Republican from Hialeah who introduced the legislation.

Most questions came from fellow Republicans, who dominate the subcommittee with nine members. (more…)